Drip tray for paint cans



March 3, 1953 F. c. scHNABEL DRIP TRAY Foa PAINT cANs Filed June 29, 1951 lNvENToR ZPfb Schw/ysa ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIP TRY FOR PAINT CANS Fred-C. Schnabel, St. Louis Park, Minn.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial'No. 234,187

(Cl. 22B-85") 3y Claims. 1

'This invention relates to a drip tray, and more particularly, has reference to a drip tray adapted to be removably mounted upon a paint can oi conventional design.

The tendency of paint to drip down the exterior surface of a paint can and to fall to the floor is well' known, and represents a considerable inconvenience and annoyance to the painter. Often, in such instances the can label becomes completely covered, so as to be illegible, so that thereafter the painter nnds it diilicult to know what paint Vis contained in a particular can. Additionally, the dripping ci the paint Vto the floor involves a substantial loss of time in that the paint must be cleaned therefrom. Further, ordinarily it is somewhat-difficult to find a ccnvenient location lfor deposit of the paint brush during a temporary stop in the painting operations.

Heretofore, drip trays for application to paint cans', have been devised. However, to rny knowledge these have not prove-d1 entirely satisfactory, -due to the fact that in some instances, they have been so expensive insofar as the manufacture Athereof isconcerned as not to prove commercially feasible. in other instances, the trays themselves require cleaning after lthe painting operation. And, in still other instances, the trays have not been designed in such aV manner as to cause paint to. Ydrip back into the can.

. Accordingly, it is an important objectfoi the present invention to provide adrip 'tray of the tgeneral type described that will be fully disposable, so that after use it may bev removed en- Atirelyiron'i the paint` can and thro-wn away.

Another important object is to provide a drip vtray which can be manufactured Aat a mini-mum oi cost.

Yet another important object is to provide a drip tray novelly designed in a manner to cause paint to drip back into the can rather thanexteriorly thereo, and also designed in a novel `manner to provide a repository for paint' brushes when the painting operation is being temporarily halted.

'appears When applied to a paint can.

Figure Z-isa sectional view taken on line 2-'.2

f of Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa fragmentary `perspective view.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Aa'modiiied form.

Figure 5 is a sectional Aview taken on lineS- of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a Viewrpartly in side elevation and partly in vertical Asection of the paint' can having a removable bail applied thereto, said bail being designed for association with a vdrip tray formed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventional paint can I has the pivoted" bail 2, this being a typical illustrationc of a paint can.

In the form of the invention illustrated Yin Figures 1-3, a flatyan-nular trough V3 isintegrally formed with concentric, upstanding inner and outer side walls. The trough 3 is preferably formed from a readily disposable material, such as pressed paper or other fibrous stock. Further, as seen from Figure 2, the trough is so4 proportioned as to its inner diameter as to engage snugly against the upstanding side portions of the bail 2, when the drip tray is applied to the paint can.

The trough 3 is oan-y desired size, it being understood that the diameter of the trough lwill -vary according to the diameter of thepaint can to which it is to be applied. In any event, the trough surrounds andv is spaced a short distance from the periphery of the can, andI is disposed, in the form of the invention illustrated in` Figures 1 -to 3, at the upperfend of thecan. Integra-1 with the top-edge of the inner lwall of the trough is an annular, truste-conical flange 4 extending inwardly of the trough and inclined downwardlyv toward the paint can to-Which the dripl tray is applied. The ange ll'straddles and is supported upon the rim of the paint can, and is integrally formed along its inner edge with an. annular depending lip 5Y extending within the can below the can rim.

At'diametrically opposite locations, the lip and `flange are provided with radial score lines 6. If

the paint can has av bail, the user is venabled to tear the flange and lip along said score lines, whereby' to form slots 'l that receive thebail when the bail ispositioned vertically as in vFig-- ure 2.

By reason of this arrangement, the bail, paint can, Iand driptray are all nterengaged against relativemovement to anyr substantial degree, and 4the painter may vconduct his painting operations without fear v0I Yrelative separation of the drip tray `from-- the -paintcan orV disarrangement thereof-upon` the can.

Preferably, the base ofthe trough provided with a protective coating of wax 8, plastic, or any other substance having the desired characteristic of preventing passage of the paint or other iiuid into the material of which the base is formed.

In use of this form of the invent/ion, the drip tray is merely applied over the paint can and bail, after which the painting operation is carred out in the regular manner. If the brush, after being dipped into the paint can, has excess paint, it may be drawn upwardly against the lip 5 and ange 4, and the excess .paint will drip backwardly into the can.

Such drippings as may possibly drip exteriorly of the can will fall into the trough 3, thus to eliminate the possibility of said exteriorly dripping paint falling to the floor.

If it is desired to halt the painting operation temporarily, the brush can be laid in the trough 3.

After the painting operation has been completed, the drip tray can be removed bodily from l the can, and disposed of. The paint can will be left clear of exterior drippings, so that the label thereof may be kept fully legible.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the drip tray has a trough, the inner wall of which is designated 9, said inner wall being annular and formed to a diameter slightly grea-ter than the diameter of the pain-t can I, so as to surround and be spaced from the paint can. The inner w-all S projects slightly above the rim of the paint can, and is integrally formed with a frusto-conical inwardly extended flange I0 corresponding to the flange 4 of the first form of the invention, and straddling the rim of the paint can. The ange Ill is integrally formed along its inner edge with a depending lip II.

Diametrically opposite slots I2, which may be formed in the same manner as the slots "I, receive the upstanding bail 2 of the paint can.

At i-ts lower end, the inner wall 9 is integral with the flat trough I3. The trough I3 is in the plane of the bottom of the paint can, and in the illustrated example is of rectangular outer configura-tion, thus to permit its being positioned in room corners or against any wall of a room.

lA protective -coating I4 is preferably applied over the base of the trough, and the trough, as in the rst form of the invention, has a peripheral upstanding flange.

In actuality, the second form differs from the rs't form` of the invention only in respect to the outer configuration of the trough, and in the height of the inner wall of the trough.

In Figure 6, a can I5 is illustrated. this being a type of paint can distributed commercially without a bail. Conventionally, this is provided with a grooved rim I 6.

Either of the drip trays described above can be applied to the paint can I 5, and in using the drip tray with a paint can of this type, the painter will not tear the frusto-conical flange and depending lip along the score line 6. Rather, it is proposed to apply to the can a removable bail Il of spring wire material, having the upturned ends I8 engageable under the rim I6. The bail I1 is applicable to paint cans of any size, due to the inherent springiness thereof, it being understood that if the paint can is of small diameter, the side portions of the bail will merely be sprung inwardly s-o as to permit the bail to be entered into the upper end of the paint can.

When not in use, the bail II'I can be readily detached from the paint can. and can be deposited in the trough 3 or I 3 as the case may be.

LIO

The detachable bail, of course, can be used as a. brush rest whenever desired.

It will be understood that regardless of the outer configuration of the trough, said trough `will have a center opening corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of the receptacle to which the drip tray is to be applied, whereby the trough may surround and be spaced closely from said receptacle.

It is also of importance that if it is desired to halt painting operations temporarily, the cap, not shown, of the paint can may be positioned upon the flanges 4 or I0 to keep the paint or other contents well covered. If the can has its own bail, as in Figures 1-5, the bail will not interfere with positioning of the lid or cap in this manner. If the can is of the type shown in Figure 6, the bail I'I is readily removed to permit application of the cap to said ange.

Additionally, the construction is such as to enable the painter to wipe paint dirt upon the flange of the trough of the drip tray in such manner as to insure that the dirt will fall into the trough.

Having claimed is:

1. A drip tray for containers comprising: a trough, said trough being of endless formation to form a center opening therein for circumposing of the trough about a container with the inner edge of the trough in close proximity to the side wall of said container, said trough having a .dat bottom wall and inner and outer side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the trough; an annular, frustro-conical flange having an outer edge integrally connected to the top edge of said inner Wall, said flange being inclined downwardly from its integral connection to the inner Wall of the trough within said center opening to straddle the upper end edge of a container about which the trough is circumposed, ythe .ange being provided with diametrically opposite, radial s-core lines extending from the inner edge of the ilange to said inner wall of lthe trough and adapted for tearing of the ange along said lines to provide radial slots for receiving a container bail extending upwardly from the upper end of the container; and an annular lip depending from the inner edge of the flange for engaging the inner surface of the container 4at the upper end thereof and thereby provide means cooperating with an engaged bail to interengage the container, baill and tray against relative movement.

2. A drip tray for containers comprising: a trough, said trough being of endless formation to form a center opening therein, said trough having a flat, annular bottom wall and low, annular inner and outer side walls substantially coextensive in height and extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the trough; an annular. frusto-conical flange having an outer edge integrally connected to the top edge of said inner wall, said flange being inclined downwardly from its integral connection to the inner Wall of the trough within said center opening to straddle the upper end edge of a container about which the trough is circumposed, the flange being provided with diametrically opposite, radial score lines extending from the inner edge of the flange to said inner Wall of the trough and adapted for tearing of the flange along said lines to provide radial slots for receiving a container bail extending upwardly from the upper end of the described the invention, what is container; and an annular lip depending from the inner edge of the flange for engaging the inner surface of the container at the upper end thereof and thereby provide means cooperating with an engaged bail to interengage the container, bail, and tray against relative movement.

3. A drip tray for containers comprising: a trough, said trough being of endless formation to form a center opening therein, for circumposing of the trough about a container with the inner edge of the trough in close proximity to the side wall of said container, said trough having a flat bottom wall formed with a rectangular outer edge and with a circular inner edge extending about said opening, the trough having a low outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of the bottom wall, and an inner wall substantially greater in height than the outer wall and extending upwardly from said inner edge of the bottom wall; an annular, frustro-conical ange having an outer edge integrally connected to the top edge of said inner wall, said flange being inclined downwardly from its integral connection to the inner wall of the trough within said center opening to straddle the upper end edge of a container about which the trough is circumposed, the ange being provided With diametrically opposite, radial score 6 lines extending from the inner edge of the flange to said inner wall of the trough and adapted for tearing of the flange along said lines to provide radial -slots for receiving a container bail extending upwardly from the upper end of the container; and an annular lip depending from the inner edge of the flange for engaging the inner surface of the container at the upper end thereof and thereby provide means cooperating with an engaged bail to interengage the container, bail, and tray against relative movement.

FRED C. SCHNABEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 665,438 Higgins Jan. 8, 1901 2,151,895 Carlson Mar. 28, 1939 2,180,581 Eisenberg Nov. 21, 1939 2,195,070 Backert Mar. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 297,631 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1928 

